The Viano failed its MOT and is moping in the garage, so my plans to try camping are accelerated. This means a long train journey down to Totnes and it’s not until 1 pm that I pick up the trail at Dartmouth ferry. Walking past drinkers sitting in the attractive cobbled streets, enjoying the sun is tough. There’s a lovely cool breeze for the zigzag climb out of town through the trees, with Kingswear shining across the harbour.
The path takes me inland and there is a fair amount of lane walking which is pretty but instantly forgettable.
The path skirting Slapton Ley Nature Reserve is a little overgrown but keeps the adjacent A379 well out of sight — not the most enjoyable section.
The Exercise Tiger Memorial at Torcross is another sober reminder of the role played by the South Coast in WW2. Slapton Sands was used to practice landings for Utah Beach. Eight tank landing ships, heavily laden and slow-moving, were intercepted by German E-boats, with the loss of 639 American soldiers and sailors. The loss of life was greater than during the initial attack on Utah Beach.
The only suitable place to pitch is on a patch of grass in the car park, despite a No Overnight Camping sign. A few cars remain, plus a transit van with a kayak on the roof. The owner is busy in the back, so I introduce myself and ask whether anyone checks the car park. Ben is also considering parking overnight. We have a good chat. Exploring the coastline from the sea has always been an attractive idea.
My first attempt at pitching the tent seems half-decent. The main problem is the ground is so hard I can’t get the tent pegs in very far, and there are no stones nearby to hammer them in. However, it’s not very windy so I should be fine. The Zpacks Duplex tent only weighs 550g and my total load is under 9kg, which made the day fairly easy. I’m slightly anxious at the arrival of each late-night car in case someone is checking the car park, eventually drifting off to the sound of the gentle wind and waves below.
Walk distance: 14 miles.
Total distance: 520 miles.
Hi Tony,
pitch late and break camp early and no one would ever know you were there …….errr well apart from telling us about it. Using public transport, other than the A to B, getting to the walk is no joke. Jon C and Helpful Mammal made a lot is use of public transport in their walks. Have you bought a Senior Railcard yet (apologies if you are a non-sexagenarian).
Good advice and I tried to do just that. The railcard will, sadly, be acquired next month.
Well done for pitching your tent and braving a night under canvas. I loved Start Point. An unexpectedly wild piece of coastline.
Yes, it is a wonderfully remote and beautiful stretch after Start Point.